In one of his first acts as the new Chief Justice, John Roberts hired all three of the former law clerks for the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist: Mark Mosier, Michael Passaportis, and -- most importantly, at least to me -- my former student Ann O'Connell. He also brought with him two clerks from the D.C. Circuit, Dan Kearney and Kosta Stojilkovic.

The news about Harriet Miers is funny. She is like a SC search committee chair. If she gets the spot, then she would be doing a "Cheney". (Hint: Cheney was a VP search committee chair. He then got the job.)

L Murphy is incorrect; the third Roberts clerk from last year had already left his chambers to join Justice Kennedy for the upcoming Term. It's the two who stuck around who are accompanying him to the Court.

Seems like the prudent measure for an incoming chief, in which instance I suppose there's more motive for continuity than in replacing a mere rank and file Supreme. In that light his decision is utterly conventional. Who knows better how the old boss ran things than his runners?